Air inflated boxing glove



April 14, 1959 c. VRANA AIR INFLATED BOXING GLOVE Filed Oct. 29, 1957 INVENTOR.

WTTQE/VE United States Patent AIR INFLATED BOXING GLOVE Charles Vrana, Paterson, NJ.

Application October 29, 1957, Serial No. 693,068

6 Claims. (Cl. 2-18) This invention relates to athletic equipment and, more particularly, to boxing gloves having self contained cushioning means for softening the impact of punches in all directions.

The subject matter of the present invention is an improvement of the boxing glove construction disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 632,190, filed January 2, 1957, and has as one of its main objects the provision of a boxing glove possessing substantially all of the qualities of the construction of the aforementioned application, but requiring a minimum number of parts and assembly operations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a boxing glove which may be manufactured in kit form, packaged, and sold for final assembly operations to be performed by the purchaser as a do-it-yourself kit.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a boxing glove of the type described which may be readily inflated for use and deflated for storage purposes, so as to require a minimum amount of packaging and storage space.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an inflatable main body portion forming a part of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view of a boxing glove made in accordance with the present invention in operative assembled relationship; and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the main body portion shown in Figure l in an assembled and inflated position.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figure 1 thereof, a boxing glove made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a main inflatable body portion 12 which is in the form of a completely sealed hollow enclosure having a row of interconnecting panels in side by side relationship, and having an air inlet valve 13 for inflating and deflating the member. All of the panels have a lowermost triangular portion 14 which cooperates to define a fist receiving pocket, and an uppermost rectangular portion 16 which define a wrist encompassing collar when the unit is inflated and tied together. Each end of the assembly is provided with a tab 19 which has a plurality of eyelets or openings 18 which receive the string 20 that secure the ends of the main body portion together. Another string 22 extends downwardly through a spherical hand grasp knob 23, through a rectangular sponge block 26 within the fist pocket 40, and is then threaded through the holes 28 in each one of the triangular tabs 29 at the lowermost extremities of the triangular portions 14 of the main body member, in the manner shown in Figure 4.

As is shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, the string 22 "ice also extends through a cushion pad 31 that is carried centrally within an outer spherical fabric cover 33 which encloses the main body portion 12 so as to eifectively tie the parts together. A flexible inelastic band 35 encircles the mid section of the rectangular upper portions 16 of the main body member in engagement with reentrant portions 17 so as to rigidify the wrist encompassing collar thereof in orderto maintain the shape of the unit after it has been inflated by admitting air to the inlet valve 13. A pair of diagonally extending tie strings 36 are secured at each end to diametrically opposite sides of the band 35'and extend through diagonal slots 37 in the rectangular sponge block 26 so as to cradle the sponge block and limit its movement in a direction outwardly away from the band 35, whereby the forces are eifectively cushioned by all of the components of the glove.

In actual use, the parts may be furnished in kit form and assembled into the glove in the manner shown in Figure 3. After the main body portion 12 has been inflated, the hand may be inserted into the fist compartment 40 and the grasp knob 23 held to secure the glove in position upon the hand, no external tying means being required. It will be recognized that the proportions of the respective triangular and rectangular elements of each panel in the main body member 12 may be varied for any particular design. Thus, the lower triangular members can be enlarged to provide a greater cushioning eifect at the striking portions of the glove so as to provide even greater protection. It will be noted that this glove has a minimum amount of material and steps for assembly, the cushioning pad in the forward end of the outer cover providing additional cushioning for heavy blows, while protecting the assembly of the forward sections of the inflated main body portion. As a result, this glove affords a combination of inflated bag and cushion sponge action for absorbing the blows. The hand grasp knob is virtually suspended by the tie strings 36 so as to provide maximum buoyancy so that the blows are absorbed by the upper part of the glove as well as over the entire lower portions thereof so as to result in a softer impact.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A boxing glove comprising, in combination, an inflatable main body portion defining an upwardly opening fist receiving pocket and an annular collar encircling said pocket for encompassing the wrist of a hand inserted into said pocket, a hand grasp knob within said pocket suspended from the mid section of said main body portion, a sponge cushion disposed intermediate said knob and the innermost extremity of said pocket, a fabric cover encircling said pocket defining portions, a cushion pad intermediate the outer bottom portions of said pocket and the facing inner surfaces of said cover, said main body portion comprising a hollow enclosure having a row of inner communicating panels in side by side relationship, an air supply valve communicating with the interior of said enclosure, all of said panels having a lowermost triangular portion defining said fist receiving pocket and an upper rectangular portion defining a wrist encompassing collar, and the interior of said mid section of said panels being in communication with each other.

2. A boxing glove as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a string securing the terminal portion of said triangular members together, and a band encompassing the mid sections of said rectangular portions.

3. A boxing glove as set forth in claim 2, wherein said mid sections of said rectangular portions define remain body portion is of substantially spheroidal exterior shapehaving an outside diameter substantially longer than the diameter of said band. 1

5. A boxing glove comprising, in combination, an infiatable main body portion defining an upwardly opening fist receiving pocket, a hand grasp knob within said pocket suspended from the mid section of said main body portion, a fabric cover encircling said pocket defining portion, said main body portion comprising a hollow enclosure having a row of inner communicating panels in side by side relationship, an air supply valve communicating with the interior of said enclosure, all of said 4. panels having a lowermost triangular portion defining said fist receiving pocket and an upper rectangular portion defining a wrist encompassing collar, and the interior of said mid section of said panels being in communication with each other.

6. A boxing glove as set forth in claim 5, further com prising a cushion pad intermediate the outer bottom portion of said pocket and the facing inner surfaces of said cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

